54: The Seriousness of a Maid and Hayasaka Ai's Night

"Phew—so being a maid is actually such a serious job."

After nearly a whole day of training, the moment Hayasaka Ai announced that today's lessons were over, Nanami's barely maintained composure collapsed. 

She slumped into her chair, panting heavily.

Hayasaka Ai's teaching had completely overturned her perception of what it meant to be a maid.

It was no longer just about serving tea and taking care of chores, but an all-encompassing art that combined etiquette, social interaction, psychology, refinement, management, financial awareness, information handling, and even personal security—with everything beginning from a clear understanding of one's position.

Yes, this could no longer be described as a mere "skill." It was truly an art.

"If you're just an ordinary maid, sure, you don't have to take it that seriously. 

But if you want to be the best, capable of serving as head maid or steward, then of course it must be taken seriously."

Hayasaka Ai rolled her shoulders and, observing Nanami's exhaustion, offered a slightly apologetic smile.

"Though today's schedule was admittedly a bit packed. I spoke too much as well. If you're feeling very tired, I'll cut back a bit on tomorrow's lessons."

She couldn't possibly admit that seeing Nanami's eagerness to learn and the perseverance she gradually showed had fired up her own motivation.

Coupled with the freshness of teaching for the first time and a curiosity to see Nanami's limits, she had indeed gone a little overboard—too much content, too little rest.

"It's alright, Miss Hayasaka . Compared to when I was working part-time, this is actually way easier."

Nanami pulled out a small notebook from her bag and started jotting down everything she could recall from the day, starting with the most fundamental lesson: knowing her position—as a constant reminder to herself.

"Part-time job?"

Hayasaka Ai had never worked one herself, but she had some understanding of the concept.

She couldn't imagine a typical part-time job being more exhausting than the intense training she gave today—unless it was purely physical labor.

"Yeah, Mr. Ogiwara is a really kind person. He gave me this job because he saw how tired I looked from my part-time work." 

Nanami twirled her pen, sounding a little embarrassed. 

"When I met Mr. Ogiwara, I had just gotten sick from overworking, and he ended up taking me to the hospital—and gave me quite a scolding…"

Hayasaka Ai automatically filtered out the parts of that story that might make her feel complicated, instead focusing on one specific detail—Nanami getting sick.

"Miss Aoyama, is your physical strength the result of long-term part-time work?"

"Yeah, I've been doing it for quite a while."

"And getting sick—how long ago was that?"

"Hmm… it's been four days now, I think."

"Miss Aoyama, you should've mentioned that earlier. When you're just recovering from an illness, you shouldn't be doing anything too exhausting."

Though her tone had a hint of scolding, Hayasaka Ai felt more guilty than angry.

If the illness had stemmed from long-term overwork, it was undoubtedly related to fatigue. 

That kind of collapse didn't recover overnight. No wonder Nanami still had determination in her eyes, but her physical stamina had already reached its limit.

"Haha, it really is fine." Nanami suddenly sprang up from her chair and landed with a light and stable posture, stretching her arms cheerfully. 

"See, Miss Hayasaka ? I've already fully recovered."

It looked smooth and energetic, but to a professional like Hayasaka Ai, that kind of movement didn't mean full recovery at all.

Right at the moment when a person had finally relaxed after a long day of fatigue, to perform such a steady motion could only mean—she had truly become adept at functioning and hiding her condition even while exhausted.

"Wait here a moment."

With that, Hayasaka Ai left the room.

Nanami didn't know what she was up to, but didn't ask. She simply sat back down and continued writing down what she had learned today.

A moment later, Hayasaka Ai returned with tea and snacks.

"It's afternoon tea time now. After you finish, go rest."

"Hmm? More food…"

Nanami instinctively covered her belly, recalling how earlier she had practiced cooking with expensive ingredients and was then told she had to eat everything she made, otherwise it would be wasted.

Thankfully, she hadn't cooked too much, so even though she was quite full, she had managed to finish it all.

That much she could justify as energy recovery—but if she added an afternoon tea on top of that, she'd definitely gain weight.

Nanami was a typical girl who cared very much about her weight.

But at the same time, she was also a typical girl who loved sweets and snacks.

Noticing the conflict and hesitation in Nanami's eyes, Hayasaka Ai smiled inwardly and called out to her from beside the sofa. "Come here."

Nanami set down her pen and sat down, looking a bit puzzled.

But once Hayasaka Ai properly placed the tea and desserts in front of her, confusion turned into alarm.

"Eh?! Miss Hayasaka , I can do that myself!"

"No. Afternoon tea is also part of your maid training. Think of this as an additional lesson. 

Step one—you must first sit in this seat and understand what the master feels, so that you can better serve them. 

If you don't understand the master's feelings, how can you hope to serve them properly?"

"...Is that really true?"

"Yes. Also, being able to appreciate black tea is an essential trait of a professional maid. 

You need to be able to distinguish between good and bad tea. It's a major bonus. 

A maid with no taste or discernment will be looked down upon, no matter how skilled she is in other areas."

When it came to little deceptions—or rather, under these circumstances, this level of fabrication—Hayasaka Ai had zero guilt whatsoever.

Nanami whimpered nervously, but soon sank into the bliss of pastries, silently vowing that she'd eat less for dinner that night...

...

Later that evening, during her free time, Hayasaka Ai sat in front of her computer for a long time, conflicted, before finally deciding to call Akira.

Now that she realized Akira genuinely cared for Nanami, telling him about her own overexertion of the girl today carried a strong risk of upsetting him. 

On the other hand, if she kept quiet, it would likely pass unnoticed.

With Nanami's resilient and diligent personality, and the attitude she showed today, Hayasaka Ai was nearly certain she wouldn't complain about the fatigue to Akira when she returned.

That would be the safest, most profitable decision.

Yet something inside her was uneasy.

If it were anyone else, she would've set her conscience aside without hesitation. 

But when it came to Akira—mysterious, generous, and helpful—and Nanami, earnest and hardworking, she couldn't silence her guilt.

She had already accumulated enough moral burden. She didn't want to add even one more layer.

Maybe if Akira scolded her a bit tonight, she would feel better.

With that sentiment in mind, she dialed the number.

"Sorry, Mr. Ogiwara. I didn't know Miss Aoyama was still recovering. I might've accidentally overworked her today."

To her relief, Akira didn't get angry. Instead, he gently reassured her.

"Hm? That's not your fault—I forgot to mention it."

Not as possessive as she expected?

With that suspicion, Hayasaka Ai continued apologetically, "I'm truly sorry. Starting tomorrow, I'll reduce the workload accordingly."

This proposal didn't receive an immediate reply. After a brief moment of silence, Akira gave a response that surprised her.

"Hmm… As for the lesson schedule, I'll leave it to your judgment. 

Little Nanami wasn't just exhausted before because of too many part-time jobs—malnutrition, lack of sleep, and juggling studies and voice acting training were major factors too."

"Now that her nutrition and sleep are sufficient, and she's on summer break with no school, it's okay for her to be a bit more tired.

I asked you to train her to the highest standard because if she's not pushed a little, she'll overthink and feel like she doesn't deserve the salary she's being paid."

Even knowing that Akira cared about Nanami, Hayasaka Ai hadn't expected the reason behind his strict demands to be this thoughtful.

"How was lunch nutritionally, Miss Hayasaka ?" Akira asked.

"Per your instructions, it was mainly nourishing foods. Miss Aoyama finished everything without feeling overstuffed. I also added an afternoon tea as a personal gesture of apology."

"Excellent. If there's any surplus in the chef's payment or ingredient budget, just keep it for yourself. 

I didn't expect this favor to end up putting so much burden on you. Don't refuse—it's a token of appreciation I consider fair."

Hayasaka Ai swallowed the polite refusal she'd just formed and accepted the reward calmly.

After all, taking such benefits and increasing the other party's emotional and material investment would subtly invoke the concept of sunk cost—shifting the psychological balance in her favor.

Next time she needed anything, the other person would subconsciously be more willing to comply.

"In that case, I'll accept it, Mr. Ogiwara. In return, I will give it my all to train her properly—and I'll take care to monitor Miss Aoyama's physical and emotional well-being."

That was the most strategic response.

Judging by the shift in Akira's tone afterward, she had definitely made the right call.

After exchanging a few polite farewells, she waited for Akira to end the call.

It left her in a fairly good mood.

But the next report she had to give was far less pleasant.

"Miss Kaguya had a traditional Japanese breakfast prepared by the chef. 

She spent most of the morning familiarizing herself with computers and the internet, tried some online games but wasn't good at them, and mostly browsed the news. 

Afterwards, she studied for an hour."

"For lunch, Miss Kaguya suddenly wanted to relive school life, so she had a simple lobster bento. 

The afternoon was dedicated to tea ceremony and flower arranging. During a break, she prepared tea herself and served it with Japanese confections. 

Her flower arrangement is now displayed in the corridor outside her room."

"For dinner, she had A5 Kobe sirloin steak with salad. In the evening, she fiddled with her new smartphone in bed but struggled like she did with the computer. 

Afterward, she read a bit of classic romance literature and fell asleep while reading."

Hayasaka Ai couldn't abandon her original duties entirely, so even while training Nanami, she regularly returned to check on the young lady, even if it was just to chat.

And every night, she had to give such detailed reports to the Shinomiya household on the young lady's every move—her interactions, behaviors, even her conversations at school.

On the other end of the phone, the deep voice of the Shinomiya family's steward came through.

"I heard a classmate of the young lady came to the villa today."

"Yes," Hayasaka Ai answered smoothly, as planned. 

"She's a student from an ordinary background who entered the academy on academic merit.

She claimed she wanted to experience working as a maid. 

From what I observed, the disparity between rich and poor made her feel unbalanced, and she wished to catch the attention of someone wealthy. 

She made the request to the young lady through the student council during the school term. As the vice president responsible for helping students, the young lady couldn't refuse."

It was the best excuse. If the family truly investigated, Nanami's identity and her relationship with Akira would be impossible to hide.

But to the arrogant eyes of the elite, people from the bottom "should" behave so lowly. Hearing such an explanation would make them lose interest entirely.

"Very well. Thank you for your hard work, Miss Hayasaka ."

With those low words, the call ended.

Hayasaka Ai set down the phone with a blank expression, brushed her hair, and clicked open a video titled "Emotionlessly Pulverizing a Bunch of Slimes."

Eventually, she crawled into bed and fell into a deep sleep…

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